Access-A-Ride in NYC

You have to make a reservation one to two days in advance. That means knowing not only when you?ll be ready to set out, but also where your first stop will be, how long it will last, where your second stop will be, how long that will last, and so on. What if the doctor is running late? Or the movie is a dud? Too bad.

Unless your doorway has a direct view of the curb, you have to wait outside. Tom Charles, the M.T.A.?s vice president for paratransit, said that 95 percent of departures are on time ? but ?on time? means within a half-hour. Half an hour is a long time to wait on the sidewalk. If you have a serious disability and it?s 34 degrees and raining, it can be downright painful.

3 Comments

I’m not sure I see it that way – non-disabled people don’t have to arrange rides in advance, or put up with absurd “on time” windows.

Instead of spending a fortune on “special” (separate, segregated) services, how about regular transit systems spend that fortune on upgrading equipment so that everyone can use the regular system?
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HandyDart, is even worse here in British Columbia interior. I have 4 times to choose from for (10 am, 11:30, noon, 1:30, and 3 pm) each direction of my trip. There is a 15-30 minute window on each side of that time. If you’re not there, they leave. If that happens twice, I lose my rider privileges.

I must book at least 24 hours in advance (preferably longer) and I am penalized for a less than 24 hour cancellation. The service runs Monday thru Saturday.

I strongly believe they should take “Handy” out of their title.

Our transit system is fully accessible however. And the city even built 2 accessible concrete platforms for me within 1 month of me requesting them. That was amazing. The bus drivers I’ve encountered have been pleasant and accommodating so far, even though I consume precious minutes getting on, fastening in, and getting off on their already tight schedule.